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NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series news and information

  • Austin Hill wins rain-shortened Truck Series race at Watkins Glen

    Austin Hill wins rain-shortened Truck Series race at Watkins Glen

    For the first time in 20 years, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series came back to Watkins Glen International Raceway for the final race of the 2021 regular season. Knoxville race winner, Austin Hill, claimed the victory, as the race was called just 11 laps short due to lightning in the area.

    “It was nerve-wracking that’s for sure, I didn’t know if we were going to go back green or not,” Hill said to Fox Sports 1 about the victory. “It feels so good to win on a road course. I’ve been wanting to win on a road course for a very long time, even back in the (NASCAR) K&N Pro Series days. I felt like, I always get around the road course very decent and finally, we have a race where everything went our way.”

    “I was biting my nails a little bit when that rain came. I didn’t know what was going to happen with the lightning and all that. Everybody at United Rentals, HRE (Hattori Racing Enterprises) they gave me a really good piece today and we were able to get it done.”

    Following the two-week hiatus due to the Olympic break, the NASCAR Truck Series was back in action Saturday afternoon as part of a doubleheader feature with the NASCAR Xfinity Series following the event shortly thereafter.

    Stages 20-25-27 originally made up the 72-lap event before lightning and rain came to the area late in the final stage.

    Austin Hill was on the pole via the metric qualifying system.

    There were multiple incidents in Stage 1. The No. 99 of Ben Rhodes and the No. 18 of Chandler Smith spun around in the first turn, however, no caution was thrown as both trucks were able to get fired back and going.

    One caution occurred in the stage on Lap 9 for the No. 45 of Chad Chastain who wheel-hopped into Turn 1 and crashed into the tire barrier.

    While there would be more spins including Rhodes spinning on Lap 10 and Matt Crafton on Lap 15, no more yellow flags were seen and Circuit of the Americus winner Todd Gilliland took the Stage 1 victory. Sheldon Creed, Derek Kraus, Josh Berry, Austin Wayne Self, AJ Allmendinger, Paul Menard, Stewart Friesen, Ben Rhodes and Ryan Truex completed the Top 10.

    Stage 2 had the least amount of incidents and remained caution-free. Austin Hill was strong throughout the stage and nabbed the Stage 2 victory. Nemechek, Allmendinger, Zane Smith, Creed, Ankrum, Hocevar, Gilliland, Rhodes and Mayer were the Top 10 finishers.

    As the final stage began with 23 laps to go, rain and lightning started to move into the area. On Lap 53 with 19 laps to go, the yellow flew once more for playoff-hopeful Derek Kraus who spun on the backstretch and came to a stop. Unfortunately, due to the incident, Kraus’s playoff chances were eliminated.

    The field went back green with around 16 to go but the racing continued for only four more laps. Due to lightning, the trucks were brought down to pit road and after a long delay, the race was eventually called, giving the checkered flag to Austin Hill.

    Regular-season champion John Hunter Nemechek finished second and will lead the playoff grid just 28 points above Hill heading into the World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway for the first race in the Round of 10.

    “Possibly, it’s hard to say with the high downforce package that we have on these trucks, dirty air is really bad,” Nemechek said about finishing runner-up. “You get super aero-tight behind other trucks and it kind of gives you a disadvantage being the second guy compared to being in clean air. Overall, we had a really fast Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra today. I feel like Austin (Hill) had the dominant truck all day. I do feel like we were better in certain spots, and he was better in other spots on the racetrack. Who knows what would have happened, he could have made a mistake, I could have made a mistake. It’s part of racing. I felt like if he would have slipped a little bit or if I could have gotten side-by-side with him, I feel like we probably could have made the pass and possibly drove off. I don’t know how fast, but I felt like we were playing cat and mouse with trading back who was faster on certain laps.”

    Official Playoff Standings for Round of 10:

    1. John Hunter Nemechek, 2,049 points
    2. Austin Hill, -28
    3. Ben Rhodes, -30
    4. Todd Gilliland, -34
    5. Sheldon Creed, -58
    6. Zane Smith, -40
    7. Matt Crafton, -45
    8. Carson Hocevar, -47
    9. Chandler Smith, -48
    10. Stewart Friesen, -48

    Tracks in the Round of 10 consist of Gateway, Darlington, and Bristol.

    There were five cautions for 10 laps and six leaders among seven different lead changes. Hill led three times for 35 laps en route to victory.

    Official Results following United Rentals 176 at Watkins Glen International Raceway:

    1. Austin Hill, won Stage 2, led 35 laps
    2. John Hunter Nemechek, led two laps
    3. Sheldon Creed
    4. Todd Gilliland, won Stage 1, led 18 laps
    5. Parker Kligerman
    6. Zane Smith, led four laps
    7. Tyler Ankrum
    8. Paul Menard
    9. Sam Mayer
    10. Carson Hocevar, led one lap
    11. Josh Berry
    12. Kaz Grala
    13. Christian Eckes
    14. Tanner Gray
    15. Ben Rhodes
    16. Austin Wayne Self
    17. Ryan Truex
    18. Corey Heim
    19. Hailie Deegan
    20. Stewart Friesen
    21. Derek Kraus
    22. Matt Crafton
    23. Johnny Sauter
    24. Timmy Hill
    25. Jack Wood, led one lap
    26. Tate Fogleman
    27. A.J. Allmendinger
    28. Danny Bohn
    29. Roger Reuse, 1 lap down
    30. Josh Reaume, 1 lap down
    31. Lawless Alan, 1 lap down
    32. Spencer Boyd, 2 laps down
    33. Chad Chastain, 3 laps down
    34. Taylor Gray, 8 laps down
    35. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 16 laps down
    36. Norm Benning, OUT, Too slow
    37. Grant Enfinger, OUT, Transmission
    38. Will Rodgers, OUT, Transmission
    39. Chandler Smith, Disqualified

    Note – Chandler Smith was disqualified from his finishing position for failing post-race heights. As a result everyone moves up a position. However, Smith still qualifies for the Truck Series playoffs despite losing points and finishing position in the process.

    Up Next: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will begin their playoffs run at World Wide Technology Raceway on Friday, August 20, live at 9 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio.

  • Weekend schedule for Watkins Glen

    Weekend schedule for Watkins Glen

    NASCAR heads to Watkins Glen International this weekend for a full schedule of racing. It will be the first time back at the 2.45-mile road course since 2019.

    The ARCA Menards Series starts off the action Friday evening. The Camping World Truck Series and the Xfinity Series compete back to back Saturday and the Cup Series closes out the activities Sunday afternoon.

    Chase Elliott has won the last two Cup Series events at Watkins Glen and is considered the favorite heading into the weekend. Kyle Busch and Elliott have the most wins at Watkins Glen among active drivers, with two victories each. Brad Keselowski will start on the pole with teammates Joey Logano starting in second and Ryan Blaney in third.

    There have been 26 Xfinity Series races at Watkins Glen with 15 different race winners. In 2019, Austin Cindric became the youngest winner in the history of the track. He was 20 years, 11 months and one day old. JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier will start on the pole.

    The Camping World Truck Series returns to Watkins Glen for the regular-season finale Saturday afternoon. It’s the series’ first time back at the track since 2000 and Austin Hill will lead the way from the pole. There have only been five previous Truck Series races at the track with four different winners. Ron Hornaday won the first two races, going to victory lane in 1996 driving a Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet, and again in 1997 driving for Billy Hess Racing. Joe Ruttman won in 1998, Ron Fellows in 1999 and Greg Biffle won the last Truck race held at Watkins Glen in 2000.

    There will be no practice or qualifying for the Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series.
    The starting lineups were determined by the following metrics formula established by NASCAR.

    • 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
    • 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
    • 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
    • 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, August 6

    3:15 p.m. – 4 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series Practice/Qualifying
    6 p.m.: ARCA Series Clean Harbors 100 at The Glen (41 Laps, 100.45 Miles)
    TV/Radio: FS1, MRN

    Saturday, August 7

    12:05 p.m.: Truck Series Driver Intros (Drivers standing by trucks)
    12:30 p.m.: Truck Series United Rentals 176 (Stages 20/45/72 Laps, 176.4 Miles)
    Pole: Austin Hill
    TV/Radio: FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    3:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Driver Intros (Drivers standing by cars)
    4 p.m.: Xfinity Series Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200 (Stages 20/40/82 Laps, 200.9 Miles)
    Pole: Justin Allgaier
    Defending Winner: Austin Cindric
    TV/Radio: CNBC, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Sunday, August 8

    2:20 p.m.: Cup Series Driver Intros (Drivers standing by cars)
    3 p.m.: Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen (Stages 20/40/90 Laps, 220.5 Miles)
    Pole: Brad Keselowski
    Defending Winner: Chase Elliott
    TV/Radio: NBCSN, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Watkins Glen Data

    Season Race #: 23 of 36 (08-08-21)
    Track Size: 2.45-miles
    Track Type: Multi-Elevational Road Course
    Number of Turns: 7
    Race Length: 90 laps / 220.5 miles
    Stage 1 & 2 Lengths: 20 laps (each)
    Final Stage Length: 50 laps

    Watkins Glen: Qualifying Data

    Track qualifying record: Marcos Ambrose, Ford (129.491 mph, 68.113 secs.) on 08-09-14.
    2019 pole winner: Chase Elliott, Chevrolet (127.297 mph, 69.287 secs.) on 08-04-19.

    • Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick lead all active NCS drivers in starts at Watkins Glen with 19 starts each.
    • Chase Elliott leads the series among active drivers in average starting position at Watkins Glen with a 6.000 in four starts.
    • Five of the 22 NCS pole winners at Watkins Glen are active this weekend.  Kyle Busch (2), Chase Elliott (1), Denny Hamlin (1), AJ Allmendinger (1), and Kurt Busch (1).
    • Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin, and Jeff Gordon lead the series in poles at Watkins Glen with three each.
    • Kyle Busch leads all active NCS drivers in poles at Watkins Glen with two.
    • Five drivers have won multiple poles in the NCS at Watkins Glen.  Kyle Busch is the only active driver with multiple WGI poles (two).
    • The youngest NCVS Watkins Glen pole winner is Chase Elliott (08/4/2019 at 23 years, 8 months, 7 days).
    • Seven different manufacturers have won at least one NCS pole at Watkins Glen.  They are led by Chevrolet with 15 poles, followed by Ford (8), Toyota (four), Dodge, Mercury, Oldsmobile and Pontiac (one each).

    Watkins Glen: Race Data

    Track race record: Martin Truex Jr., Toyota (104.132 mph, 02:07:03) on 08-06-17.
    2019 race winner: Chase Elliott, Chevrolet (98.523 mph, 02:14:17) on 08-04-19.
    2020 pole/race winner: The series did not compete in 2020 due to the pandemic.

    • Seven of the 23 NCS winners at Watkins Glen are active this weekend.  Chase Elliott (2), Kyle Busch (2), Martin Truex Jr. (1), Denny Hamlin (1), Joey Logano (1), AJ Allmendinger (1), and Kevin Harvick (1).
    • Tony Stewart leads the NCS in wins at Watkins Glen with five victories (2002, ’04, ’05, ’07 and ’09).
    • Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch lead all active NCS drivers in wins at Watkins Glen with two wins each.
    • Consecutive WGI Race Winners:  Jeff Gordon (1997, 1998, 1999), Mark Martin (1993, 1994, 1995), Chase Elliott (2018, 2019), Marcos Ambrose (2011, 2012), and Tony Stewart (2004, 2005).
    • The youngest NCS Watkins Glen winner is Chase Elliott (08/05/2018 at 22 years, 8 months, 8 days).
    • A total of 10 of the 37 NCS races at Watkins Glen have been won from the pole or first starting position, making it the most proficient starting position in the field at 27%.
    • Kurt Busch leads the series among active NCS drivers with the most starts at Watkins Glen without visiting Victory Lane at 19 starts.
    • 18 different organizations have won in the NCS at Watkins Glen and nine are active this weekend.  Hendrick Motorsports (8), Joe Gibbs Racing (7), Roush Fenway Racing (3), Richard Childress Racing (2), Richard Petty Motorsports (2), JTG Daugherty Racing (1), Team Penske (1), Stewart-Haas Racing (1) and Wood Brothers Racing (1).
    • Six different manufacturers have won in the NCS at Watkins Glen.  It is led by Chevrolet with 19 victories, followed by Ford with eight, Pontiac and Toyota with four each and Buick and Mercury each have one.
    • Erik Jones leads all active NCS drivers in average finishing position at WGI with a 6.333 in three starts.
    • Kyle Busch leads the NCS in laps led at Watkins Glen among active drivers with 247 in 15 starts.

    Top 12 Driver Ratings at Watkins Glen

    Chase Elliott – 120.4
    Kyle Busch – 110.5
    Erik Jones – 104.8
    Martin Truex Jr – 99.9
    Brad Keselowski – 99.4
    AJ Allmendinger – 94.9
    Kurt Busch – 92.9
    Daniel Suarez – 92.5
    Kevin Harvick – 90.5
    Denny Hamlin – 90.0
    Kyle Larson – 88.2
    Ryan Blaney – 85.4

    Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2019 races (15 total) among active drivers at Watkins Glen International. Series did not compete at WGI in 2020 due to the pandemic.

  • Austin Hill wins inaugural Truck Series race at Knoxville

    Austin Hill wins inaugural Truck Series race at Knoxville

    Two hours, three minutes and four overtime restarts after the race began, Austin Hill fended off Chandler Smith to win the first-ever NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Knoxville Raceway.

    “I kind of thought we were out of it (winning the race) there for a little bit,” Austin Hill said to Fox Sports 1.

    “I had that restart on the outside of the 38 (Todd Gilliland) and I fell all the way back to 20th (in the running order). I didn’t think we were going to make it back up, track position was huge. It was really hard to get around people. I just kept my head down.

    “This team at HRE (Hattori Racing Enterprises) never quit. That’s the thing I like about this group. We never stop, we never quit. Even when we think we’re down and down, we just keep coming back. If you would have told me we would win a dirt race this year, I would have told you, you’re lying.”

    The Georgia driver didn’t become a contender for the win until the final stage when Hill restarted in the top three. Yellow after yellow, Hill stayed in contention and did not let the 18 of Chandler Smith pull away. Eventually, right before the final yellow on Lap 172, Hill pulled slightly ahead of Smith at the previous timing/scoring loop, putting him in the lead. Despite Smith having the most dominant truck during the final 10 laps, he came up short, finishing second to Hill, and will have to wait another week for a chance at his first career victory.

    “First of all, just have to thank Danny (Stockman, crew chief) and all the guys on this No. 18 JBL Toyota Tundra team. They worked their tails off on this thing and we got it really good in practice. We fell back there in the race, and I couldn’t run the top, but we were able to make it work on the bottom. We needed track position, but we were able to lead a bunch of laps. I don’t think the call was right (at the end with regard to line-up) that they (NASCAR) made to be honest, but it is what it is and that’s part of it.”

    Prior to the main event feature, there were four 15-lap qualifying heat races to set the field. The driver who gained the most points in the heats would start on the pole. Josh Berry, Kyle Strickler, Tyler Ankrum, and Carson Hocevar all won their heat races. However, the pole position went to Derek Kraus who gained the most points of 17.

    Throughout the first stage, there three cautions that slowed the event. The yellow flag was brought out when Johnny Sauter was spun by Chase Briscoe in Turn 4 and again when dirt regular, Brian Brown, was spun by Chase Purdy in Turn 3. The final caution of the stage occurred when Jessica Friesen spun on Lap 37.

    NASCAR ended Stage 1 under yellow and Kraus took home the stage victory. Todd Gilliland, Josh Berry, Carson Hocevar, Tyler Ankrum, Sheldon Creed, Stewart Friesen, Brett Moffitt, Chandler Smith and Austin Hill rounded out the top 10 finishers.

    There were only a couple of incidents in Stage 2. Jessica Friesen brought out the yellow for the second time on Lap 66 after getting spun by Kraus and collected by Morgan Alexander in Turn 3. Another caution resulted when the No. 51 of Brown spun in Turn 4.

    Prior to the yellow, Gilliland had led the majority of the stage before being passed by Kraus for the Stage 2 victory.

    The action really heated up in the third and final stage of the night. There were nine cautions and a 14-minute red flag during the stage. The major incident included a big pileup on Lap 155 when most of the field wrecked in Turn 1. The drivers involved included Rohrbaugh, Gray, Deegan, Benning, Berry, Ankrum, Zane Smith, Purdy, Erickson, Briscoe, Jake Griffin, Schatz, Creed and Windom, creating the red flag situation.

    There were two more overtime restarts as more yellows flags were flown for incidents in Turn 1.

    After the multiple cautions, the final restart came at Lap 177 with Austin Hill and Chandler Smith battling it out for the win. However, on Lap 179 (29 laps over the scheduled race distance), Austin Hill scored his first victory of the 2021 Truck Series season.

    Chandler Smith, Grant Enfinger, Gilliland, Kraus, Matt Crafton, Ben Rhodes, Brian Brown, Tate Fogleman and Danny Bohn completed the Top 10.

    There were 14 cautions for 80 laps and seven leaders among 20 lead changes. Hill led twice for 11 laps en route to his seventh career Truck Series victory.

    Playoff Points Standings with one race to go until the Playoffs begin:

    1. John Hunter Nemechek, five wins, 34 playoff points
    2. Ben Rhodes, two wins, 11 playoff points
    3. Todd Gilliland, one win, 7 playoff points
    4. Sheldon Creed, one win, 6 playoff points
    5. Austin Hill, one win, 5 playoff points
    6. Zane Smith (clinched playoff spot), +140
    7. Matt Crafton (clinched playoff spot), +119
    8. Stewart Friesen, +61
    9. Carson Hocevar, +53
    10. Chandler Smith, +40

      Below the cut line
    11. Johnny Sauter, -40
    12. Austin Wayne Self, -44
    13. Tyler Ankrum, -51
    14. Derek Kraus, -71

    Official Results following the Corn Belt 150 at Knoxville Raceway:

    1. Austin Hill, led 11 laps
    2. Chandler Smith, led 71 laps
    3. Grant Enfinger
    4. Todd Gilliland, led 61 laps
    5. Derek Kraus, won both stages, led 10 laps
    6. Matt Crafton, led one lap
    7. Ben Rhodes
    8. Brian Brown
    9. Tate Fogleman
    10. Danny Bohn
    11. John Hunter Nemechek
    12. Jake Griffin
    13. Ryan Truex
    14. Zane Smith
    15. Chris Windom
    16. Carson Hocevar, led 17 laps
    17. Tyler Ankrum
    18. Devon Rouse
    19. Norm Benning
    20. Johnny Sauter, led eight laps
    21. Hailie Deegan
    22. Cody Erickson, 2 laps down
    23. Kyle Strickler, 2 laps down
    24. Andrew Gordon, 2 laps down
    25. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 3 laps down
    26. Jessica Friesen, 4 laps down
    27. Stewart Friesen 9 laps down
    28. Josh Berry, OUT, Accident
    29. Parker Price-Miller, 19 laps down
    30. Austin Wayne Self, OUT, Accident
    31. Tanner Gray, OUT, Accident
    32. Donny Schatz, OUT, Accident
    33. Chase Purdy, OUT, Accident
    34. Codie Rohrbaugh, OUT, Accident
    35. Sheldon Creed, OUT, Accident
    36. Chase Briscoe, OUT, Accident
    37. Jett Noland, OUT, Accident
    38. Brett Moffitt, OUT, Accident
    39. Jack Wood, OUT, Accident
    40. Morgan Alexander, OUT, Accident

    Up Next: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will take nearly a month off before heading to Watkins Glen International Raceway on Saturday, August 7, live on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio at 12:30 p.m./ET.

  • Weekend schedule for Atlanta and Knoxville

    Weekend schedule for Atlanta and Knoxville

    The NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series head to Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend for the second time this season while the Camping World Truck Series travels to Knoxville Raceway for the series debut at the half-mile dirt oval.

    Six active Cup Series drivers have won previously at the 1.5-mile track. Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead the series with three wins each. Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch have two previous wins. Ryan Blaney, the most recent winner, and Denny Hamlin have each been to victory lane once.

    Only three active Xfinity Series drivers have won at Atlanta. Kyle Busch has two victories while Justin Allgaier and AJ Allmendinger have one win each. Busch (13) and Jeremy Clements (12) have the most starts among the active drivers in the Series.

    The Truck Series lineup at Knoxville Raceway will be set by four qualifying heat races prior to the main event. A random draw (in order of current owner points) will be used to determine the heat race and starting position for each driver. Only green-flag laps will count with no overtime rule.

    Drivers will earn points for their finish in the qualifying race and can also gain passing points (the difference between their starting position and finishing position). The points will determine their starting position for the feature event.

    The starting lineups for the Cup and Xfinity Series were determined by the following metrics formula:

    • 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
    • 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
    • 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
    • 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race

    All times are Eastern.

    Thursday, July 8

    7:05 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice at Knoxville – FS1

    Friday, July 9

    7 p.m.: Truck Series at Knoxville Qualifying Race 1 (15 Laps) FS1/MRN
    7:15 p.m.: Truck Series at Knoxville Qualifying Race 2 (15 Laps) FS1/MRN
    7:30 p.m.: Truck Series at Knoxville Qualifying Race 3 (15 Laps) FS1/MRN
    7:45 p.m.: Truck Series at Knoxville Qualifying Race 4 (15 Laps) FS1/MRN
    9 p.m.: Truck Series Corn Belt 150 presented by Premier Chevy Dealers at Knoxville (Stages 40/90/150 laps = 75 miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Saturday, July 10

    3:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Credit Karma Money 250 at Atlanta
    Stages 40/80/163 laps = 251.02 miles
    NBCSN/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN)
    Pole: Kyle Busch

    Sunday, July 11

    3:30 p.m.: Cup Series Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart at Atlanta
    Stages 80/160/260 laps = 400.4 miles
    NBCSN/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN)
    Pole: Chase Elliott

    Atlanta Motor Speedway Data:
    Season Race #: 21 of 36 (07-11-21)
    Track Size: 1.54-miles
    Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 24 degrees
    Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 24 degrees
    Banking/Frontstretch: 5 degrees
    Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees
    Frontstretch Length:  2,332 feet
    Backstretch Length:  1,800 feet
    Race Length: 260 laps / 400.4 miles
    Stage 1 & 2: 80 Laps (each)
    Final Stage: 100 Laps

    Atlanta Qualifying and Race Data:

    Track qualifying record: Geoffrey Bodine, Ford (197.478 mph, 28.074 secs.) on 11-15-97
    2020 pole winner: None – Starting Lineup set by Metric Qualifying; Chase Elliott started in first.

    • Kevin Harvick leads all active drivers in NCS starts with 31 starts, followed by Kurt Busch with 30 and Ryan Newman with 29.
    • Ryan Newman leads all active drivers in the NCS in average starting position of 8.138 in 29 starts followed by Kyle Larson at 8.286 in 12 starts.
    • Nine of the Atlanta NCS pole winners are active this weekend.  Ryan Newman (7), Kevin Harvick (2), Aric Almirola (1), Denny Hamlin (1), Joey Logano (1), Kurt Busch (1), Kyle Busch (1), Martin Truex Jr. (1), and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (1)
    • Buddy Baker and Ryan Newman are tied for the ZNCS most poles at Atlanta with seven each and Newman holds the record for most consecutive poles with six (spring of 2003 through 2005).

    Track race record: Bobby Labonte, Pontiac (159.904 mph, 03:07:48) on 11-16-97.
    2020 race winner: Kevin Harvick, Ford (142.966 mph, 03:30:03) on 06-07-20.

    • Six former Atlanta winners are active this weekend.  Kevin Harvick (3), Kurt Busch (3), Brad Keselowski (2), Kyle Busch (2), Denny Hamlin (1), and Ryan Blaney (1).
    • Kevin Harvick (2001, 2018, 2020) and Kurt Busch (2002, 2009, 2010) lead all active series winners at Atlanta with three each.
    • The youngest NCS Atlanta winner is Kyle Busch (03/09/2008 – 22 years, 10 months, 7 days).
    • The most proficient starting position in the field at Atlanta is the fifth starting position with 16 wins, more than any other starting position.
    • The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started at Atlanta is 37th, by Jimmie Johnson in 2015.
    • Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Atlanta in the NCS with 14.
    • Nine different manufacturers have won in the NCS at Atlanta.  Chevrolet leads with 40, followed by Ford (34), Pontiac (11), Dodge (nine), Mercury (eight), Buick (four), Plymouth (four), Toyota (three) and Oldsmobile (one).
    • Kevin Harvick leads all active NCS drivers in laps led at Atlanta with 1,197 in 31 starts.

    Top 12 Driver Ratings at Atlanta
    Kevin Harvick……………………… 101.4
    Kyle Larson………………………….. 98.0
    Martin Truex Jr……………………… 96.7
    Denny Hamlin……………………….. 95.6
    Kurt Busch…………………………… 95.4
    Kyle Busch…………………………… 94.6
    Brad Keselowski……………………. 94.4
    Ryan Blaney…………………………. 91.0
    Chase Elliott…………………………. 89.9
    Joey Logano………………………… 83.3
    Ryan Newman………………………. 78.0
    Ricky Stenhouse Jr………………… 77.5

    Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2021 races (23 total) among active drivers at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

  • Nemechek holds off boss man Busch for Pocono victory

    Nemechek holds off boss man Busch for Pocono victory

    In a late-race duel following a restart with six laps to go, John Hunter Nemechek, with help from a push by Todd Gilliland, got past team owner Kyle Busch to take the lead and win at Pocono Raceway.  

    Busch tried to rally back within the closing laps, but Sheldon Creed got underneath Busch which caused both trucks to get loose and slide up the track. Nemechek pulled ahead to a two-second lead and won for the fifth time this season.

    The Mooresville native spoke to FOX Sports 1 after the race in victory lane.

    “These guys just work so hard,” Nemechek said of his team. “We never gave up. We weren’t very good the first stage. Without this opportunity—without Kyle and Toyota, I wouldn’t have had it. Five wins this year and beat Kyle—three for five against Kyle is pretty good odds.”

    This was the last Truck Series race of the 2021 season for Busch and his last race with sponsor Cessna/Beechcraft. He led 20 laps and challenged for the win late, but after the incident with Sheldon Creed, Busch had to settle for his fifth top-five of the season.

    Meanwhile, Busch was in his last race of the 2021 Truck Series season where he led 20 laps and challenged for the win late. But after the incident with Sheldon Creed, Busch had to settle for his fifth top-five of the season.

    “I don’t know (what happened there),” Busch said about the incident with Creed to Fox Sports 1. “The Cessna Tundra was pretty good. We were up front there leading, the caution came out at the end and just bunched us up back together.

    “We got, not a great restart, but a decent restart. We were all even getting into (Turn) 1, and John Hunter just slid me and got the lead. I was trying to figure out what I could do to fight back and get the lead back, and I got drilled in the left rear. That basically handed the win to the 4 truck.

    “That’s our year and that’s what it is. I guess we’ll be back in 2022 sometime.”

    Prior to the green flag, Busch announced that the Pocono race would be the last race for sponsor Cessna/Beechcraft and stated he is working on plans for the 2022 season. The partnership between Busch and Cessna began in 2017 at Kansas. Since then, the duo has enjoyed 14 victories with each other when Cessna was the main sponsor.

    Stages 15-15-30 made up the 60-lap race and Todd Gilliland was on the pole via the qualifying metric system.

    An early caution was brought out on Lap 1 when series newcomer Jack Wood, in the No. 24 GMS truck, missed a gear on the initial start and caused the field to stack up. Unfortunately for Johnny Sauter who needs a win to get into the playoffs, he was collected in the incident.

    The early caution was the only caution in the stage and Zane Smith went on to win the stage that ended on Lap 15. Busch, Creed, Gilliland, Chandler Smith, Rhodes, Friesen, Austin Hill, Eckes, and Crafton completed the Top 10 for Stage 1.

    In Stage 2, there were no yellows but multiple strategies caused various lead changes. On Lap 20, Busch closed in on race leader Zane Smith in the tunnel turn but got loose slightly tapped the wall off Turn 3 one lap later.

    On Lap 27, near the end of the stage, there were numerous race leaders who pitted including Busch, Creed, and Chandler Smith. Zane Smith also chose to make a pit stop but the GMS driver didn’t make it to pit road in time and had to restart at the rear of the field for the final stage.

    Nemechek did not pit and took the lead during the green-flag pit stops, going on to win Stage 2. Rhodes, Friesen, Austin Hill, Crafton, Berry, Majeski, Purdy, Enfinger, and Wright were the Top 10.

    As the final stage began with 25 to go, Busch and Carson Hocevar restarted as the leaders.

    Busch looked as if he was going to set sail with the lead, but a late caution with 10 to go came out for Friesen who crashed in Turn 2. This bunched the field up again which set up a restart with six laps to go.

    Busch was inching in on Nemechek and it appeared as though there would be a battle for the win late. However, with three laps to go, Sheldon Creed challenged for second and slid both he and Busch up the track.

    All Creed and Busch could do was watch as Nemechek drove away with the victory for his 10th career Truck Series victory. Kyle Busch, Sheldon Creed, Tyler Ankrum, Austin Hill, Matt Crafton, Todd Gilliland, Zane Smith, Ryan Preece, and Derek Kraus was the Top 10 finishers.

    There were four cautions for 13 laps and eight lead changes among seven different drivers.

    Playoff Standings with two races left in the regular seasaon.

    1. John Hunter Nemechek, five wins, 34 playoff points
    2. Ben Rhodes, two wins, 11 playoff points
    3. Todd Gilliland, one win, seven playoff points
    4. Sheldon Creed, one win, six playoff points
    5. Austin Hill, +183
    6. Zane Smith, +142
    7. Matt Crafton, +106
    8. Stewart Friesen, +65
    9. Carson Hocevar, +49
    10. Chandler Smith, +28

      Below the cut line
    11. Johnny Sauter, -28
    12. Tyler Ankrum, -33
    13. Austin Wayne Self, -41
    14. Derek Kraus -55

    Official Results following the CRC Brakleen 150 at Pocono Raceway.

    1. John Hunter Nemechek, won Stage 2, led 12 laps
    2. Kyle Busch, led 20 laps
    3. Sheldon Creed, led three laps
    4. Tyler Ankrum
    5. Austin Hill
    6. Matt Crafton
    7. Todd Gilliland, led four laps
    8. Zane Smith, won Stage 1, led 18 laps
    9. Ryan Preece
    10. Derek Kraus
    11. Josh Berry
    12. Christian Eckes
    13. Carson Hocevar
    14. Ty Majeski
    15. Chase Purdy
    16. Tanner Gray
    17. Ben Rhodes
    18. Ryan Truex
    19. Austin Wayne Self
    20. Lawless Alan
    21. Tate Fogleman
    22. Howie DiSavino III
    23. Ray Ciccarelli
    24. Tyler Hill
    25. Chandler Smith, 1 lap down
    26. Hailie Deegan, 1 lap down
    27. Spencer Boyd, 1 lap down
    28. Josh Reaume, 1 lap down
    29. Todd Peck, led one lap, 1 lap down
    30. Kris Wright, 2 laps down
    31. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 2 laps down
    32. Norm Benning, 2 laps down
    33. Stewart Friesen, 2 laps down
    34. Bryan Dauzat, 3 laps down
    35. Johnny Sauter, 5 laps down
    36. Grant Enfinger, OUT, Engine
    37. Bayley Currey, OUT, Mechanical
    38. Danny Bohn, OUT, Mechanical
    39. Jack Wood, OUT, Accident

    Up Next: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will take a few weeks off before heading to the inaugural series race at Knoxville Raceway Friday night, July 9, live on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio at 9 p.m. ET.

  • Weekend schedule for Pocono

    Weekend schedule for Pocono

    NASCAR heads to Pocono Raceway for a full weekend of racing featuring a Cup Series doubleheader. The Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series will also compete along with the ARCA Menards Series.

    The ARCA Menards Series will have an open (optional) practice session Thursday at 9 a.m. with the final practice on Friday at 2:15 p.m. and qualifying at 4 p.m.

    There will be no practice or qualifying sessions for the Cup, Xfinity or Truck Series events. The starting lineups will be determined by the following metrics formula, with one exception.

    The lineup for Sunday’s Cup Series Pocono Mountains 350 will be set by an invert of the top 20 finishing positions from Race 1 while the remainder of the field (21-38) will be based on the metrics formula.

    • 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
    • 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
    • 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
    • 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, June 25

    6 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series General Tire #AnywhereIsPossible 200 (80 laps, 200 miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Saturday, June 26

    12 p.m.: Truck Series CRC Brakleen 150 (Stages 15/30/60 laps = 150 miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Pole: Todd Gilliland

    3 p.m.: Cup Series Pocono Organics CBD 325 (Race 1) – Stages 25/77/130 laps = 325 miles (NBCSN/TSN2/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
    Pole: Kyle Larson

    Sunday, June 27

    12 p.m.: Xfinity Series Pocono Green 225 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons (Stages 20/40/90 laps = 225 miles) NBCSN/TSN3/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    Pole: Harrison Burton

    3:30 p.m.: Cup Series Explore the Pocono Mountains 350 (Stages 30/85/140 laps = 350 miles) NBCSN/TSN3/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Cup Series Notes:

    Four active Cup Series drivers have wins at the Tricky Triangle led by Denny Hamlin with six and Kurt Busch with three. Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. have each won twice at Pocono.

    Hendrick Motorsport’s drivers have been on a hot streak, winning the last five races. Alex Bowman won at Dover, Chase Elliott at COTA and Kyle Larson at Charlotte, Sonoma and Nashville. It’s the fourth time in the team’s history that they have won five or more consecutive races (twice in 2007 and once in 2014).

    Xfinity Series Notes:

    Saturday will mark only the sixth time that the Xfinity Series has competed at Pocono. There have been five different winners in each of those previous five races. Since none of those drivers are competing this weekend, we’ll see a different driver in Victory Lane Sunday afternoon.

    The most experienced drivers include Justin Allgaier, Jeremy Clements, Ryan Sieg and Brandon Jones. They are the only full-time Xfinity drivers that have made every start at the track.

    Truck Series Notes:

    There have been 11 Truck Series races at Pocono and 10 different winners. Kyle Busch leads the series with two victories (2015, 2018).

    There are only three races remaining until the Truck Series Playoffs begin. Four drivers have wins (John Hunter Nemechek, Ben Rhodes, Todd Gilliland and Sheldon Creed) and are locked in, leaving six open spots.

    Pocono Raceway Data:
    Season Race #: 18 of 36 (06-26-21) & Season Race #: 19 of 36 (06-27-21)
    Track Size: 2.5-miles
    Banking/Turn 1: 14 degrees
    Banking/Turn 2: 8 degrees
    Banking/Turn 3: 6 degrees
    Frontstretch Length:  3,740 feet
    Backstretch Length:  3,055 feet
    Shortstretch Length:  1,780 feet
    Race Length: 130 laps / 325 miles
    Stage 1 Length: 25 Laps
    Stage 2 Length: 52 Laps
    Final Stage: 53 Laps

    Pocono Raceway NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying Information:
    2020 Pocono-1 pole winner: Aric Almirola started from the first starting position (Starting Lineup was determined by Random Draw)
    2020 Pocono-2 pole winner: Ryan Preece started from the first starting position (Starting Lineup was determined by Inverting the Field).
    Track qualifying record: Kyle Larson, Chevrolet (183.438 mph, 49.063 secs.) on August 1, 2014.

    • Kevin Harvick leads all active NCS drivers with 40 starts at Pocono Raceway.
    • Denny Hamlin leads all active series drivers in average starting position with a 7.400 in 32 starts.
    • 12 of the 46 Pocono Raceway Cup Series pole winners are active this weekend.  Kyle Busch (4), Denny Hamlin (3), Joey Logano (2), Kurt Busch (2), Ryan Newman (2), Brad Keselowski (1), Daniel Suarez (1), Kevin Harvick (1), Kyle Larson (1), Martin Truex Jr (1), Ryan Blaney (1), and William Byron (1).
    • Kyle Busch leads all active drivers at Pocono with four poles (Spring 2010, Fall 2015, 2017 sweep).
    • Eight different manufacturers have won a NCS pole at Pocono led by Chevrolet (34), followed by Ford (18), Toyota (9), Dodge (8), Pontiac (6), Buick (2), American Motors Company (1), and Oldsmobile (1). 

    Pocono Raceway NASCAR Cup Series Race Information:
    2020 Pocono-1 race winner: Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford on June 27, 2020 (134.467 mph, 2 Hrs, 25 Mins, 1 Sec.).
    2020 Pocono-2 race winner: Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota on June 28, 2020 (122.879 mph, 2 Hrs, 50 Mins, 54 Secs.).
    Track race record (200 laps): Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet (145.384 mph, 03:26:21) on June 12, 2011.

    • 38 different NCS drivers have won at Pocono and 10 winners are entered this weekend.  Denny Hamlin (6), Kyle Busch (3), Kurt Busch (3), Martin Truex Jr. (2), Kevin Harvick (1), Ryan Blaney (1), Chris Buescher (1), Joey Logano (1), Brad Keselowski (1), and Ryan Newman (1).
    • Joey Logano is the youngest Cup Series Pocono winner (June 10, 2012 – 22 years, 0 months, 17 days).
    • 16 of the 86 (19%) NCS races at Pocono have been won from the pole (14) or first starting position (two); the most recent was Kyle Busch on July 30, 2017.
    • The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (16) than any other starting position at Pocono in the NCS at a 19% winning percentage.
    • Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Pocono with 17.
    • Eight different manufacturers have won in the NCS at Pocono.  Led by Chevrolet (32), followed by Ford (24), Toyota (10), Dodge (7), Pontiac (6), Buick (4), Mercury (2) and Oldsmobile (1).
    • Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in laps led at Pocono with 785 laps led in 30 starts.

    NASCAR Cup Series 2021 Top 16 in the Driver Standings at Pocono Raceway:

    DriverAverage FinishDriver Rating
    Denny Hamlin11.3107.1
    Kyle Larson12.495.3
    William Byron9.788.4
    Chase Elliott14.395
    Joey Logano17.988
    Kyle Busch1695.3
    Martin Truex Jr14.788.1
    Kevin Harvick12100.1
    Ryan Blaney12.685.9
    Brad Keselowski1195
    Austin Dillon18.772
    Alex Bowman21.466.6
    Tyler Reddick32.548
    Christopher Bell21.580.9
    Chris Buescher20.364.3
    Michael McDowell28.447.5

  • Ryan Preece makes late charge for Truck Series debut victory at Nashville

    Ryan Preece makes late charge for Truck Series debut victory at Nashville

    For the first time since 2011, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returned to Nashville Superspeedway. And for the first time in his career, Ryan Preece made a late-race pass on Grant Enfinger with six laps to go to take home the victory in his Truck Series debut.

    “Chad (Johnston, Crew chief on the No. 17), he did an awesome job calling the race, great adjustments, awesome car with DGR-Crosley,” Preece said to Fox Sports 1 about his victory. “This Ford F-150 was pretty stout. Thank you to Kevin Harvick, KHI Management, Hunt Brothers Pizza, Morton Buildings for stepping up for allowing me to come out here and do this. This is why I love to race, I love winning.”

    Preece‘s teammate, Todd Gilliland rebounded to finish second after starting at the back due to a pre-race violation.

    “It stings not to get that last spot, especially because I was under the 17 (Preece) and got too loose, but that‘s racing,” Gilliland said, after the race.

    Enfinger finished in third place after leading 39 laps.

    “It was fun running with him,” he said. “It was extremely tough racing out there. We had a good truck, just not enough to hold of those [fresher] tires at the end.”

    Zane Smith, Friesen, Matt Crafton, Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski, Austin Hill and Nemechek rounded out the Top 10.

    Qualifying was held earlier in the day and we saw the No. 19 of Derek Kraus qualify on the pole. Meanwhile, the No. 4 of John Hunter Nemechek’s qualifying time was disallowed as he went backward after spinning during his initial attempt and he was forced to start in the rear.

    Stage 1 was caution-free while Kraus led all 40 laps to score his second career stage win. Austin Hill, Chandler Smith, Grant Enfinger, Jack Wood, Preece, Zane Smith, Johnny Sauter, William Byron and Tyler Ankrum were the Top 10 finishers.

    The first yellow of the night flew in the second stage on Lap 79 when the engine of Byron’s No. 27 expired. During the caution, there were a couple of drivers who made a pit stop. Unfortunately, two drivers were penalized. Todd Gilliland received a penalty for a commitment line violation and Josh Berry was penalized for an uncontrolled tire.

    As Stage 2 ended on Lap 95, Chandler Smith scored his first stage win of the season. Zane Smith, Kraus, Sauter, Crafton, Rhodes, Wood, Gray, Enfinger and Preece completed the Top 10. Under the stage break, Sauter was penalized for speeding and Tanner Gray was penalized for an uncontrolled tire. Both drivers had to start from the rear of the field for the final stage. Enfinger and Stewart Friesen stayed out and assumed the lead to play a different strategy.

    The final stage began with 42 laps to go and saw intense battles and two yellows flew with 46 to go for Sauter who spun after contact with Gray. The final yellow flag was thrown with 39 to go for Stage 1 winner Kraus who spun off the front bumper of Josh Berry on the backstretch.

    Following the restart with 33 to go, Enfinger stretched the lead while trying to save fuel at the same time. However, the battle for the lead heated up with Todd Gilliland and Ryan Preece with 13 to go. Enfinger kept Preece at bay for a couple more laps until Preece made the move with six to go and took the lead and went on to win NASCAR’s first race back at Nashville Superspeedway.

    There were eight lead changes among six different leaders and five cautions for 29 laps. Preece led twice for eight laps en route to victory.

    Playoff leaderboard with three races to go until the Playoffs start:
    1. John Hunter Nemechek, 4 wins, 28 playoff points
    2. Ben Rhodes, 2 wins, 11 playoff points
    3. Todd Gilliland, 1 win, 7 playoff points
    4. Sheldon Creed, 1 win, 6 playoff points
    5. Austin Hill, +146
    6. Zane Smith, +108
    7. Matt Crafton, +73
    8. Stewart Friesen, +53
    9. Carson Hocevar, +30
    10. Chandler Smith, +15
      Below the cut line
    11. Johnny Sauter, -15
    12. Austin Wayne Self, -41
    13. Tyler Ankrum, -48
    14. Derek Kraus, -61
    Official Results following the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway:
    1. Ryan Preece, led eight laps
    2. Todd Gilliland
    3. Grant Enfinger, 39 laps
    4. Zane Smith
    5. Stewart Friesen, led five laps
    6. Matt Crafton
    7. Ben Rhodes
    8. Ty Majeski
    9. Austin Hill, led two laps
    10. John Hunter Nemechek
    11. Jack Wood
    12. Johnny Sauter
    13. Chandler Smith, won Stage 2, led 48 laps
    14. Sheldon Creed
    15. Chase Purdy
    16. Carson Hocevar
    17. Parker Kligerman
    18. Tanner Gray
    19. Josh Berry
    20. Tate Fogleman
    21. Hailie Deegan
    22. Ross Chastain
    23. Tyler Ankrum
    24. Drew Dollar
    25. Spencer Davis
    26. Ryan Truex
    27. Austin Wayne Self
    28. Dawson Cram
    29. Timmy Hill
    30. Danny Bohn, 1 lap down
    31. Cory Roper, 2 laps down
    32. Kris Wright, 2 laps down
    33. Trey Hutchens III, 4 laps down
    34. Lawless Alan, 8 laps down
    35. Derek Kraus, won Stage 1, led 48 laps, OUT, Crash
    36. William Byron, OUT, Engine

    Up Next: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will head to the northeast for the CRC Brakleen 150 at Pocono Raceway on Saturday, June 26, live at 12 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio.

  • Weekend schedule for Nashville

    Weekend schedule for Nashville

    NASCAR heads to Nashville Superspeedway this Father’s Day weekend where all three national series will compete at the 1.33-mile, D-shaped, all concrete oval. It will be the first-ever Cup Series event at the track.

    There have been 21 previous Xfinity Series races at Nashville Superspeedway. The first event was held on April 14, 2001, with Greg Biffle taking home the trophy.

    Carl Edwards was the most recent winner, in 2011. Kyle Bush is the only driver that is entered in the Xfinity race this weekend who has won at Nashville (2009).

    The track has hosted 13 Camping World Truck Series races beginning with its first event in 2001. There have been 10 different pole winners and 11 different race winners during that time. Matt Crafton is the only Truck Series driver that has participated in all 13 of the previous Truck Series races at Nashville. None of the former winners, however, are entered in Friday’s race.

    All three series will have practice and qualifying sessions at Nashville Superspeedway this weekend.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, June 18

    11:05 a.m.: Camping World Truck Series Practice – FS2
    4:05 p.m.: Xfinity Series Practice – NBCSN
    5:05 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Qualifying – FS1
    8 p.m.: Rackley Roofing 200 Camping World Truck Series race – Stages 45/95/150 Laps = 199.5 Miles – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Saturday, June 19

    12:35 a.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying – NBCSN/TSN2
    2:05 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – NBCSN/MRN/TSN2
    3:30 p.m.: Tennessee Lottery 250 Xfinity Series race – Stages 45/90/188 Laps = 250.04 Miles – NBCSN/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/TSN2

    Sunday, June 20

    11:05 a.m. Cup Series Qualifying – NBCSN/MRN
    3:30 p.m. Ally 400 Cup Series race – Stages 90/185/300 Laps = 399 Miles – NBCSN/MRN/ SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/TSN3

    Cup Series Race notes:

    There are 13 active Cup Series drivers who have made at least one start at Nashville Superspeedway. Five of those drivers have previous wins. They are led by Kyle Busch with one NXS one in 2009; two NCWTS wins (2010, 2011), Kevin Harvick with two NXS wins (2006, 2010), Brad Keselowski with two NXS two wins (2008, 2010), Austin Dillon with one NCWTS win in 2011, and Joey Logano with one win NXS in 2009.

    Aric Almirola, Matt DiBenedetto, Denny Hamlin, Michael McDowell, David Starr, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Martin Truex Jr. and JJ Yeley all have previous starts without any wins.

    Xfinity Series Race Notes:

    The active Xfinity Series drivers with previous experience at Nashville Superspeedway include Justin Allgaier, Michael Annett, Jeremy Clements, Timmy Hill, JJ Yeley, David Starr, Landon Cassill but none of them have won at Nashville.

    Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Kyle Busch, will be competing in both the Cup Series and Xfinity Series events and will be racing for his 100th Xfinity Series victory.

    Truck Series Race Notes:

    There are just six drivers entered in the Truck Series race who have ever competed at Nashville. Matt Crafton is the only driver who has made all of the 13 previous starts. Other drivers who have competed at Nashville include Norm Benning (6), Johnny Sauter (5) and Jennifer Jo Cobb (3). Parker Kligerman and Clay Greenfield have each made two starts.

  • John Hunter Nemechek nabs fourth win of the 2021 Truck Series season at Texas

    John Hunter Nemechek nabs fourth win of the 2021 Truck Series season at Texas

    John Hunter Nemechek dominated Texas Motor Speedway on a hot Saturday afternoon in the Lone Star state to take home the victory in Saturday’s Speedycash.com 220. It was his fourth win of the 2021 Truck Series season and his first at Texas Motor Speedway.

    Nemechek leads the driver standings with four races remaining in the regular season.

    Nemechek started on the pole based on the qualifying metric system, won Stage 1, and cycled out as the leader once again in the final stage with 21 laps remaining to score the victory.

    Stages 35-35-77 laps made up the 147-lap event at Texas.

    Stage 1: Lap 1 – Lap 35

    Three cautions slowed the first stage and two of those cautions came out for the 2020 Truck Series champion Sheldon Creed. Creed brought out the first yellow on Lap 6 when the California native spun in Turn 2 and brushed the wall causing damage to the back end of the No. 2 machine. Then, on Lap 21, he caused the yellow again after spinning the same area.

    The final yellow for the stage was caused by the No. 49 of Ray Ciccarelli, who came to a stop off of Turn 2 at Lap 33. With the yellow coming out so late in the stage, Stage 1 would end under yellow and Nemechek grabbed the stage victory. Austin Hill, Ben Rhodes, Chandler Smith, Stewart Friesen, Brennan Poole, Austin Wayne Self, Derek Kraus, Todd Gilliland and Josh Berry rounded out the Top 10 finishers.

    Stage 2: Lap 40 – Lap 70

    Stage 2 was similar in terms of the number of cautions. On Lap 52, the No. 52 of Friesen was sent spinning sideways into Turn 2 after a bump from the No. 42 of Carson Hocevar. Then, on Lap 59, the No. 10 of Jennifer Jo Cobb came to a stop, and finally, with two to go in the stage (Lap 69), the No. 51 of Drew Dollar crashed in Turn 2 seeing an early end to his day.

    Zane Smith took the stage victory as Tanner Gray, Kraus, Poole, Ross Chastain, Berry, Chase Elliott, Chandler Smith, Nemechek and Grant Enfinger completed the Top 10.

    Stage 3: Lap 77 – Lap 147

    The final stage saw teams using various strategies. On Lap 78, Elliott took the lead from Chastain and led through Lap 108 (39 to go) when Elliott made his final pit stop. Nemechek stayed out longer than others hoping to build a large gap between Elliott and himself.

    Nemechek made his final stop 10 laps later than Elliott. He lost the lead briefly during his stop to Zane Smith but Nemechek recycled back to the lead with 21 to go. From there, he held on to a sizable lead over Elliott and won in his sixth track start at Texas Motor Speedway. Elliott, Chastain, and Austin Hill were the top five finishers.

    Nemechek led five times for 64 laps en route to victory. There were seven leaders among 15 different lead changes and six cautions for 38 laps.

    *Note: Niece Motorsports’ driver, Ross Chastain, who was originally scored with a third-place finish, was disqualified by NASCAR following post-race inspection. It was determined that the No. 45 entry had violated Section 20.6.2.13.a in the NASCAR Rule Book: “The throttle body must be used as supplied by the NT1 engine supplier without modification.”

    As a result of the infraction, Chastain was scored with a last-place finish of 36th.

    Official Results following the SpeedyCash.com 220 at Texas Motor Speedway:
    1. John Hunter Nemechek, won Stage 1, led 64 laps
    2. Chase Elliott, led 45 laps
    3. Grant Enfinger
    4. Austin Hill
    5. Chandler Smith
    6. Zane Smith, won Stage 2, led 12 laps
    7. Todd Gilliland, led eight laps
    8. Tyler Ankrum
    9. Tanner Gray, led seven laps
    10. Josh Berry
    11. Carson Hocevar
    12. Johnny Sauter
    13. Derek Kraus, 1 lap down
    14. Brennan Poole, 1 lap down
    15. Austin Wayne Self, 1 lap down
    16. Ryan Truex, 1 lap down
    17. Chase Purdy, 2 laps down
    18. Cory Roper, 2 laps down
    19. Tyler Hill, 2 laps down
    20. Matt Crafton, 3 laps down
    21. Dawson Cram, 3 laps down
    22. Kris Wright, 3 laps down
    23. Howie DiSavino III, 4 laps down
    24. Hailie Deegan, 5 laps down
    25. Tate Fogleman, 5 laps down
    26. Ben Rhodes, 6 laps down
    27. Spencer Boyd, 6 laps down
    28. Jesse Iwuji, 6 laps down
    29. Keith McGee, 7 laps down
    30. Norm Benning, 13 laps down
    31. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 16 laps down
    32. Ray Ciccarelli, OUT, Brakes
    33. Drew Dollar, OUT, Crash
    34. Stewart Friesen, OUT, Crash
    35. Sheldon Creed, OUT, Crash
    36. *Ross Chastain, led five laps – Disqualified, relegated to a last-place finish

    Up Next: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to Nashville Superspeedway for the first time since 2011 on Friday, June 18, live on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio at 8 p.m. ET.

  • Weekend schedule for Texas

    Weekend schedule for Texas

    NASCAR heads to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. The Camping World Truck Series and the Xfinity Series will hit the track Saturday as the NASCAR Cup Series closes out the weekend with the All-Star Race Sunday night.

    Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson won the pole for the All-Star Race via random draw Tuesday afternoon.

    The starting lineup for the All-Star Open was determined by driver points. Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick will start on the pole.

    There will be no practice or qualifying sessions for the Xfinity Series and Truck Series races due to COVID-19 protocols established by NASCAR.

    The starting lineups will be determined by the following metrics formula:

    • 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
    • 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
    • 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
    • 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race

    All times are Eastern.

    Saturday, June 12

    1 p.m.: Truck Series SpeedyCash.com 220 (Stages 35/70/147 laps = 220.5 miles)
    FS1/MRN/Sirius XM NASCAR Radio
    Defending race winner: Kyle Busch
    Pole: John Hunter Nemechek

    4 p.m.: Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 250 (Stages 40/80/167 laps = 250.5 miles)
    FS1/PRN/TSN2/Sirius XM NASCAR Radio
    Defending race winner: Austin Cindric
    Pole: AJ Allmendinger

    Sunday, June 13

    6 p.m.: Cup Series All-Star Open
    Pole determined by driver points: Tyler Reddick
    FS1/MRN/TSN3/Sirius XM NASCAR Radio

    8 p.m.: Cup Series All-Star Race (Rounds 1-4: 15 laps) (Round 5: 30 laps) (Round 6: 10 laps)
    Defending race winner: Chase Elliott
    Pole was chosen via a random draw: Kyle Larson
    FS1/MRN/TSN3/Sirius XM NASCAR Radio

    Click here for more info on the All-Star Race at Texas – format, eligibility and more.

    Did you know?

    2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Chase Elliott won last year’s All-Star Race.

    The NASCAR All-Star Race has previously been held at three tracks: Charlotte Motor Speedway (1985, 1987-2019) Atlanta Motor Speedway (1986) and Bristol Motor Speedway (2020).

    This year’s race includes seven former winners: Ryan Newman (2002), Kevin Harvick (2007, 2018), Kurt Busch (2010), Denny Hamlin (2015), Joey Logano (2016), Kyle Busch (2017), Kyle Larson (2019), and Chase Elliott (2020).

    Darrell Waltrip won the inaugural race in 1985. Bill Elliott, Chase Elliott’s father, won the event in 1986 in his home state of Georgia.

    Dale Earnhardt won in 1987 aided by the legendary “Pass in the Grass.”

    Michael Waltrip, now a Fox Sports NASCAR commentator, won the 1996 race by becoming the first to do so through winning the Open.

    Kasey Kahne (2008) is the only All-Star Race winner who earned his way into the race from the All-Star Open Fan Vote.

    Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson, now running a partial schedule in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, earned the most All-Star Race victories with four (2003, 2006, 2012-13).

    Lineup for All-Star Open

    Start pos.

    		DriverCar #Team
    1Tyler Reddick8Richard Childress Racing
    2Chris Buescher17Roush Fenway Racing
    3Matt DiBenedetto21Wood Brothers Racing
    4Ricky Stenhouse Jr.47JTG Daugherty Racing
    5Ross Chastain42Chip Ganassi Racing
    6Bubba Wallace2323XI Racing
    7Daniel Suarez99Trackhouse Racing Team
    8Erik Jones43Richard Petty Motorsports
    9Chase Briscoe14Stewart-Haas Racing
    10Aric Almirola10Stewart-Haas Racing
    11Corey LaJoie7Spire Motorsports
    12Anthony Alfredo38Front Row Motorsports
    13Quin Houff00StarCom Racing
    14James Davison15Rick Ware Racing
    15Josh Bilicki52Rick Ware Racing
    16Austin Cindric33Team Penske
    17Cody Ware51Rick Ware Racing
    18BJ McLeod78Live Fast Motorsports
    19Justin Haley77Spire Motorsports
    20Garrett Smithley53Rick Ware Racing
    21Timmy Hill66MBM Motorsports
    22David Starr13MBM Motorsports

    Lineup for All-Star Race


    		Start pos.DriverCar # Team
      
     1Kyle Larson5Hendrick Motorsports
     2Kyle Busch18Joe Gibbs Racing
     3Christopher Bell20Joe Gibbs Racing
     4Cole Custer41Stewart-Haas Racing
     5Austin Dillon3Richard Childress Racing
     6Chase Elliott9Hendrick Motorsports
     7Joey Logano22Team Penske
     8William Byron24Hendrick Motorsports
     9Brad Keselowski2Team Penske
     10Martin Truex Jr.19Joe Gibbs Racing
     11Michael McDowell34Front Row Motorsports
     12Kevin Harvick4Stewart-Haas Racing
     13Kurt Busch1Chip Ganassi Racing
     14Ryan Newman6Roush Fenway Racing
     15Alex Bowman48Hendrick Motorsports
     16Denny Hamlin11Joe Gibbs Racing
     17Ryan Blaney12Team Penske
     18Winner Open Round 1
     19Winner Open Round 2
     20Winner Open Round Final Round
     21Fan Vote